These elections
marked a considerable consolidation of the party system,
with the UUP and DUP emerging dominant, the UUUP, Vanguard
and UPNI all failing to make an impact, and the SDLP
hoovering up many of the independent nationalists and
emerging well ahead of Alliance (which none the less had its
best election ever). My main source for the results is The
Northern Ireland local government elections of 1977 by
Sydney Elliott and F.J. Smith. I have adopted all of their
party descriptions, though I have merged UUP/UUUC and UUP
results, likewise for the DUP and UUUP.

The changes noted above demonstrate in many cases just how
fragile the "Unionist" or "Loyalist" coalitions of 1973 were.
Changes from Vanguard in 1973 are marked for the UUUP where
they won seats in 1977. (No overt Vanguard candidates won in
North Down in 1973 though both Vanguard councillors elected in
1977 appear to have been "Loyalist" candidates four years
previously.)

I have very few differences from Flackes and Elliot in terms
of classifying councillors by party affiliation for this
election.

Castlereagh: I rate McFarland as an independent Unionist,
in line with Elliott and Smith; Flackes and Elliott seem to
have counted him as UUP.

Moyle: The two independent Unionists listed by Elliott
and Smith are counted as UUP by Flackes and Elliott.

Larne: Flackes and Elliott have one Loyalist elected and
only one UUP; Elliott and Smith however have two UUP and no
Loyalist, and I go with them.

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